Wilderness Area·Utah·25,705 acres
Box-Death Hollow Wilderness
Forecast issued Nov 10, 5:22pm ET
Higher ground turns first, so the slopes above the road lead the valley by a few days.
1 report came in from Garfield County this week, 1 of them past peak. Our date held. See the county on the map.
When is peak fall foliage at Box-Death Hollow Wilderness in 2026?
Our forecast puts peak color at Box-Death Hollow Wilderness around Oct 21, and the four days to aim for are Oct 20 to 23.
The wilderness runs from about 6,509 to 8,527 feet, and the color comes downhill over about 15 days: the high stands around Oct 7, the low ground around Oct 22. That's 7 days later than our model alone would say, because this season's reports from the ground moved it.
| Week | In the wilderness | Elevation at peak |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 21 to Sep 27 | Still green | |
| Sep 28 to Oct 4 | Starting to turn | |
| Oct 5 to Oct 11 | Starting to turn | 8,000 to 8,500 ft, 8,500 to 9,000 ft |
| Oct 12 to Oct 18 | Nearly peak | 7,000 to 7,500 ft, 7,500 to 8,000 ft |
| Oct 19 to Oct 25 | Peak color | 6,000 to 6,500 ft, 6,500 to 7,000 ft |
| Oct 26 to Nov 1 | Just past peak |
- 8,500–9,000 ftLeaves downpeak Oct 75%
- 8,000–8,500 ftLeaves downpeak Oct 1110%
- 7,500–8,000 ftLeaves downpeak Oct 1322%
- 7,000–7,500 ftLeaves downpeak Oct 1628%
- 6,500–7,000 ftLeaves downpeak Oct 2031%
- 6,000–6,500 ftFadingpeak Oct 225%
Height off 3DEP inside the wilderness’s own boundary; each band carries the date our model gives that elevation, corrections and all. The percentage is how much of the wilderness stands in it.
That’s 7 days later than our model alone would say. This season’s reports from the ground moved it, and they outrank us.
Plan this tripIf you can only come on certain days
Set the days you can be here. Everything under them answers for those days, not for peak.
Tuesday, October 20 to Wednesday, October 21
You’ll find it just past peak up high, peak color lower down.
Up at 8,000 feet the stands peak around Oct 11; down at 7,000 feet they hold on until about Oct 20. Pick your elevation for the day you come.
- 8,000–8,500 ftJust past peakpeak Oct 11
- 7,500–8,000 ftJust past peakpeak Oct 13
- 7,000–7,500 ftJust past peakpeak Oct 16
- 6,500–7,000 ftPeak colorpeak Oct 20
- Where to drive
- Boulder Mountain (UT 12), about 13 miles · Fish Lake Scenic Byway (UT 25), about 45 miles · Nebo Loop, about 135 miles
- What turns
- quaking aspen, Gambel oak, bigtooth maple, serviceberry
What turns, and when
- quaking aspen39%
- Gambel oak32%
- bigtooth maple15%
- serviceberry15%
Also named across Utah, outside what the canopy read measures here: Narrowleaf Cottonwood, Rocky Mountain Maple.
Utah's fall is a dual show: aspens turn gold on the high plateaus while bigtooth maples along the Wasatch Front go vivid scarlet, creating one of the most colorful mountain fronts in the West.
Questions people ask about Box-Death Hollow Wilderness
- When is peak fall foliage at Box-Death Hollow Wilderness?
Our forecast puts peak color at Box-Death Hollow Wilderness around Oct 21, and the four days to aim for are Oct 20 to 23.
- Where is the best fall color at Box-Death Hollow Wilderness right now?
On Nov 10 the wilderness is fading. The last band to peak was 6,000 to 6,500 feet, around Oct 22.
- How long does peak last at Box-Death Hollow Wilderness?
About four days at the top, Oct 20 to 23, with a week or so either side that's still worth the drive. Across the wilderness's elevations the color moves over about 15 days, so there's peak color somewhere in it for roughly 19 days.
- Is Box-Death Hollow Wilderness past peak?
Yes. Peak was around Oct 21, and on Nov 10 it's fading.
- What trees turn color at Box-Death Hollow Wilderness?
Quaking Aspen, Bigtooth Maple, Gambel Oak, Narrowleaf Cottonwood, Rocky Mountain Maple. Utah's fall is a dual show: aspens turn gold on the high plateaus while bigtooth maples along the Wasatch Front go vivid scarlet, creating one of the most colorful mountain fronts in the West.
This forecast is built from the species that stand here, their elevation and this September’s weather, and corrected in season by cameras, foresters and our own crew. Out here we score it against NASA's satellite record of when the canopy shuts down, read inside each unit’s own boundary: two dates in three land within 12 days of it. How this map is made
Nearby, and when they turn
Capitol Reef and Bryce Canyon and Dixie and Glen Canyon and Fishlake are on the map above, with their own date.
- Peak Oct 4 best Oct 3 to 6
Fall color roads near Box-Death Hollow Wilderness
Nearest first. Distances are straight-line from the wilderness, so allow more by road.
- Boulder Mountain (UT 12)
Torrey to Boulder over the aspen plateau, with Capitol Reef below.
- Fish Lake Scenic Byway (UT 25)
Pando, the largest aspen clone on earth, along the lake.
- Nebo Loop
Payson to Nephi around Mount Nebo, maple scarlet first and then aspen gold.